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Books: November and December 2017 Reads

The end of the year must mean another round up of books that I have read over the past two months.

Commonwealth by Ann Patchett

A tale of alliances and betrayals in a blended family and how their lives are changed when one of the siblings dies tragically in childhood. I love how this spans through the ages. My one criticism is that there are too many characters.

Eligible by Curtis Sittenfeld

This is a modern re-working of Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice, and is a really fun read. The trials and tribulations of the Bennett family are played out after the elder sisters, Jane and Elizabeth return home to help their mother when their father becomes ill. They soon find out that the family home has gone to rack and ruin and that Mrs Bennett has a compulsive shopping habit. Jane's interest in Chip Bingley is set against a backdrop of reality TV dating show, Eligible.

History of Wolves by Emily Fridlund

This was shortlisted for the 2017 Man Booker prize and is one of my favourite reads this year. Teenager Linda lives in the remnants of a remote commune and struggles to fit in. She befriends a young woman and her son, Paul in their nearby Summer cottage. This young family act as perfect surrogate parents. However, the tale turns sinister when the child's father returns to the cabin and there are some very chilling moments in it. I don't want to spoil the plot, but it is definitely worth reading.

The Yellow Wall-Paper by Charlotte Perkins Gilman

This is a short classic of a woman who clearly has post natal depression, locked in a room by her husband who believes he is curing her. The ripped and fading yellow wallpaper of her prison becomes her obsession as she descends into madness.

Harbor by John Ajvide Lindqvist

This ghost story draws you in but for me, it didn't deliver. I love the fact that it is set on a remote Swedish island and the story revolves around the aftermath of a girl's mysterious disappearance from a lighthouse in the middle of nowhere. However, I was not keen on the magic realism and the end was just odd!